It is the dream of any video or film graduate to have their work find a wide audience. Christopher Free, an ’06 alumnus who earned a degree in telecommunications management, will live that dream Friday.
Several short films edited by Free are airing on ABC Family starting Friday. The short films, which highlight humanitarian work taking place across the world, will showcase the work Free does for Operation Blessing International, a non-profit humanitarian organization.
“The only reason I do the work that I do is because I think it matters,” said Free. “Ultimately, the work is made so individuals would be compelled to be a part of the work that we are doing at Operation Blessing International. We take volunteers during times of disaster and ask for those who are moved by the work we do to financially support it.”
Each short, beginning with Ugandan Orphan Rescued From Garbage Dump on Friday, will be screened from 9:30-10 a.m. In addition to this short, Caring For Lepers in South Sudan will air on Sept. 11, Standing Strong with Moore, Oklahoma will air Sept. 12 and Abused & Scarred will be screened Oct. 21. All these shorts and more can be found on Vimeo.
Free was able to get his project on ABC Family through a friend’s connection on Facebook. The woman was able to set Free up with some ABC Family supervisors who wanted to see more of his work.
“Of the six that I provided her, she selected five and then asked for more,” Free said. “I then sent her 15 additional spots and she asked if she could use 12 of those. Really, it all happened faster than my brain could process it.”
In addition to his work at Operation Blessing International, he also works as the owner and senior producer of Freestyle Media Productions, LLC., which keeps him very busy.
“Every day of my life I'm working on something new,” Free said.
For Operation Blessing, Free completed a project about a TOMS Shoes distribution. He also finished up a spot for Fight Colorectal Cancer that deals with the loss of a congressman's father, and was executive producer on a nano-budget independent film that was just sent off to the Sundance Film Festival, titled “As It Is In Heaven.”
“There is always something exciting going on,” Free said.
wa054010@ohiou.edu
